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Tardiness is the #1 complaint against Metuchen Basement Remodeling Companies

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Over 10,196 reviews forMetuchen Basement Remodeling Companies from people just like you.

A

"We had a major hail storm on Saturday,

26th, 2014. We called

. because our close friends in the Twin Cities highly" ...More recommended. We called

and they came out the very next day!

was very professional and was an expert when it came to working with our insurance. He handled pretty much everything start to finish. Our new roof is beautiful and we couldn't be more satisfied. He brought out many color samples and products to choose from and recommended what color would work best for our home. Thank you

.!

-Tanya D.

A

"It went really well, better and faster than I could have imagined.

is a total professional and was easy to work with. He was kind to my wife" ...More and children and was very flexible and present during the project. We initially obtained three quotes. One was 10K more and the other was close in pricing but I felt more comfortable after meeting

. The two guys he sent to do the bulk of the construction were very efficient and suggested a few helpful modifications that did not significantly increase the cost, but significantly improved the usability and final appearance of the room. They were nice guys who spoke English well so there were no communication issues. We had regular meetings with

and the project went smoothly. Any options were presented in the beginning with pricing so their were no surprises and when we inquired about a potential modification,

gave us fair pricing. When we are ready, we will have this company back to perform additional projects.

Get use out of every square inch of your house and add value to your home by finishing your basement space. Remodeling your basement can add a family room, in-home theater, kid's play area or a guest suites for the in-laws.

Inspiration & Ideas

Angie's Answers

An itemized list / cost breakdown, more often than not is used against the contractor when it is shared with other builders who will then beat it.

Good contractors use good people, and good people cost more. Just the cost of having the appropriate insurance / bond can be the difference between winning a job or losing it ot a 'lower bid'.

It is the rule of three; there is Good, Cheap and Fast. You can have any two: Good and Cheap, won't be Fast; Good and Fast, won't be Cheap; Cheap and Fast, won't be Good!

When comparing bids, it isn't the cheapest or the 'nicest' person you should select. You should understand why there is a large price difference (it shows there are gaps in your design program or what you have asked for specifically, which means there may be arguments later). If most of the bids are in line, and one is way high or way low, you want to know why before dismissing or selecting them.

There are two sides to this and everyone will have an opinion. I can tell you that from a contractor's point of view a customer that is up front with me is much easier to work with and the entire experience is much more pleasurable to all parties involved. If you treat your contractor like there's always something to hide from him expect the same in return. A good contractor is going to take your budget into consideration and make recommendations based on that budget. When possible, he's going to estimate the work 10-20% under your target to leave room for the unexpected. With any remodeling work, there's always the possibility and likelihood that there will be surprises that will have to be added such as mold damage, improper existing framing, etc. The cushion allows room for the project cost to grow without going over your budget. If no problems are found and you decide to spend that money some of the final finishes can be upgraded or other projects added.

Another good arguement for disclosing your budget to your contractor is to save you both some time and aggrevation. You may have a $10,000 budget and want $30,000 worth of work. Wouldn't you like to know your desires aren't possible before you get your hopes up or spend money on design fees for plans you can't afford? Likewise, the contractor doesn't want to put in the hours of calculating the estimate only to find out it was all for nothing or that he has to refigure for a much lower cost after pricing what you specified.

Be fair and honest with your contractor if you expect the same respect in return. You'll get a lot more out of it with the right contractor.

Herlonginc's answer stated that it is not the contractor's job to pay for materials and labor to do the job. I say baloney - a reputable, established contractor has the funds (or a business operations line of credit) to "carry" the job between interim or partial payments, each of which should be keyed to completion of distinct easily measured mileposts in the job, and for a homeowner I would say should be in not more than 20% increments for jobs exceeding a week or so. For shorter jobs, then an initial payment, 50% completion, and completion would be normal. His cost of carry funds is part of his cost of doing business, and is figured as part of his overhead.Bear in mind when he is buying materials and paying labor, his materials he typically pays for on a 10-30 day invoice, and his labor typically a week or two after they work, so he is not really "fronting" that much money if you are giving him weekly or biweekly interim payments, on a typical residential job.

If he does not have the funds to buy materials (excepting possibly deposit on special-order or luxury items, which still typically are 10-30 day invoiceable to him) and hire personnel then he is a fly-by-night operation, and he should not be bidding that size job. You should never (other than MAYBE an earnest deposit of not more than the LESSER of 10% or $5000) let the payments get ahead of the approved/inspected work progress - typically payment should be 10-20% BEHIND the progress, with at least 10% retained at the effective end of work until final inspections and completion of the final "punchlist".

That promotes rapid continuation of the work, discourages the all-too common nightmare of contractors taking on more work than they can handle so they leave your job for weeks or months to go work on someone else's job (frequently to start that someone else's new job so he can get the job), and does not leave you out a tremendous amount of cash if he does not finish and you have to hire another contractor to finish the job. Remember, if you have to hire a new contractor to finish the job, he will charge you a lot more than the original bid to finish someone else's unfinished mess.

This may seem cynical, but having started in the construction business about 50 years ago and seeing the shenanigans that a lot of contractors pull you cannot be too safe. You have to remember contractors are like any other people - I would say maybe 10% are outright crooks, another 25% or so will pull a fast one or overcharge if the opportunity presents itself, maybe 30% will do the work but not any better than they are forced to, about 25% are good conscientious reputable workmen, and the last 10% or so are really spectacular - conscientious, fair, and efficient craftsmen. This top 35% are the only ones you should have bidding in the first place. Therefore, only get bids from long-term reputable firms (so you shake out the marginal short-timers with less experience and also generally less ability to finish the job on budget and schedule), only those that have good RECENT references, and preferably with excellent word-of-mouth recommendation from people you know and trust. That way, you are starting right off with the cream of the crop, so hopefully whichever one bids low should be a good choice.

NEVER start with bids, then check the references of the low bidder - why even consider a vendor or contractor who you do not have faith in from the start ? Get references and short-list you possibles BEFORE you ask for bids.

Low bids - that is another matter - commonly the low bidder is NOT who you want, especially if he is significantly lower than several others, which might mean he is desperate for work, made a math error, or did not correctly figure the entire scope of work. You want a reasonable bid with someone you connect with and trust - that is worth a lot more in the success of the job than the absolute lowest bid.

You should always get a set of print and pull a permit when remodeling you home. It is a good thing that you want to be involved in your project. I do have some reservation about the electrical work. There is a lot at risk with doing the work yourself. If the house burns down you will never get the insurance money, unless your a certified electrician. Now of days 90% of home fires are blamed on electrical problems because the insurance company is to lazy and cheap to investigate the true problem. Also find out if the city you live in will allow you to perform the work. Make sure you coordinate your subs to have the proper time and space to perform their job. You don't want people working on top of each other. If you order all you materials make sure everything is there before you start your project. Have your subs check for proper and full items to be installed. Make sure every sub has a working set of prints. Make sure you have all the demo done before your subs show up to work. Schedule your plumber first, do any final framing or electrical work while you wait for inspection. Electrical inspection next followed by framing, insulation, and wallboard. All subs must get a final inspection on the job before you (the GC) can call in your final inspection.

Basement Remodeling reviews in Metuchen

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Rating

“

The entire experience was flawless! The owner, Efim, was professional and enthusiastic about the project. He was the only contractor to look at the project who came up with a solution that would keep the finished floor lower than the bottom of the door (as it should be). The project was completed on time for the price quoted. I could not be more pleased ...More with the quality! The stone was cut perfectly and the grout was smooth and sealed. Even the shoe molding was cut with perfect seams (I inspect closely)! The site was totally clean and nothing was left behind but my extra tiles. Everything went so smoothly that I will definitely use them again and recommend them to friends!”

- ANNIE H.

A

Rating

“

These guys are incredible.

is very knowledgable and knew exactly what options I had. They were very prompt and finished in 4 1/2 hours.”

- Carmelin L.

N

Rating

“

M&M were on site bright and earlier as agreed every day. They electrician provided great insight on number of cans for each area on the 2nd floor. He also suggested moving the fan over to center on area of the 2nd floor. The electrician did a great job with the installation. After the electrical work was done, they checked for water damage on ...More all 3 floors of my house which was caused by an ice dam. They were thorough with checking the ceilings to ensure everything was safe. Next, they painted the common areas and master bedroom closet which was covered under insurance. For the most part, the painting was pretty good. There were a couple of areas on the ceiling that I need to touch up since the pencil

from the electrician could still be seen.
Overall, M&M did a great job with the house and provided great and fast service.”

- Jun-Jun V.

A

Rating

“

contruction

exceeded my expectations on this remodel.
They were professional and so easy to work with. There are one main
person you will interact with his name is (

got my vision for the
basement remodel and created a floor plan rendering within a couple of
days of our meeting. He’s not an architect but you won’t need one with

He’s the “creative” so I stayed in touch with him regularly on
some of my unique requests like a gym and black dropped
ceilings. he also is the owner of the company . He ensures the project is running smoothly
and made sure the budget was in line, a crucial piece. I can’t tell
you how many times contractors would just request checks every few days
and you didn’t know when they would end or in some cases when they were
coming back to the project after receiving a check. This is an
organized operation. You will place a deposit, and then
there are three timed installments. You will also need to pay for your
permits, though they will submit this info for you. Yes, I spent a bit
over budget as I decided to remove two steel beams and made other add’l
requests but

kept me in the loop so I didn’t experience sticker
shock price . There was no delaying of the project once it started and the basement
was completed in about 6 weeks (inclusive of additional time for special
orders). the own of the company is also involved in the remodeling. He can do just about anything you can envision. He came
early, left late, and sometimes worked over the weekend. His work
ethic is unbelievable and he really goes out of his way to ensure you’re
pleased with everything. The whole team (including others that
helped) is really top notch. If you’re interested in a remodeling
project, be proper to have a great experience with this contractor. they
are very fast once the work begins and will deliver what your expect
your place to be.”

- jose L.

B

Rating

“

Some of the finishing wasn't perfect, but they stuck to budget and were less expensive than competitors and did it on time. I found some of the finishing touches to lacking.”

- Jim D.

A

Rating

“

Both bathrooms in our condo were replaced in full - from demolition to rebuilding to finishing and tiling.

was clean, efficient, timely, and most importantly, did great quality work! Him and his son were both a pleasure to work with, and I can only wish that working with other contractors was so easy and

...More ! Work was completed earlier than expected (under 3 weeks) and we were always in the loop.”

- Millie G.

A

Rating

“

Communications were excellent throughout the project. Knowledgeable, experienced, and professional leadership. Kept the project organized and completed on time.”

- Ron P.

N

Rating

“

This master contractor carpenter/designer is timely, efficient, reasonably priced, trustworthy, and above all, highly skilled. The built in cabinets look like high priced furniture. I live in an old

where constant attention is required and projects always involve fitting and [removed] new with old. Master contractor allows us ...More to restore the home at a reasonable cost.”